Adult hippocampal neurogenesis and its role in cognition

CHARLOTTE OOMEN; PEDRO BEKINSCHTEIN; BRIANNE A. KENT; LISA M. SAKSIDA; TIMOTHY J. BUSSEY

Cognitive Science

Wiley

Año: 2014

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) has intrigued neuroscientists for decades. Several lines ofevidence show that adult-born neurons in the hippocampus are functionally integrated andcontribute to cognitive function, in particular learning and memory processes. Biological propertiesof immature hippocampal neurons indicate that these cells are more easily excitable compared tomature neurons, and demonstrate enhanced structural plasticity. The structure in which adult-bornhippocampal neurons are situated -the dentate gyrus- is thought to contribute to hippocampusfunction by disambiguating similar input patterns, a process referred to as pattern separation.Several ideas about AHN function have been put forward; currently there is good evidence in favourof a role for AHN in pattern separation. This function of AHN may be understood within a?representational-hierarchical? view of brain organisation.